4:00 to 4:30 outside the Alfred County Courthouse

The York County Shelter Programs' Food Pantry has recently suffered a $31,000 budget cut, while tough times continue to force more and more people to rely on the vital social service the pantry provides. At the last county Budget Committee meeting, the motion was made and passed to reinstate this desperately needed funding. David James, the committee member who made the motion, explained that he has seen poverty first hand through his work delivering Meals-On-Wheels, and that the Shelter's Food Pantry does a good job of giving out food to needy folks in all of York County.

The pantry currently distributes an average of 39 food boxes per day, and the need has been increasing drastically. Three years ago, the York County Shelter’s Food Pantry provided 9,251 food boxes—this past fiscal year they provided 13,792. A $31,000 budget cut while the pantry's work is increasing in urgency every day would be tragic. “We want to let the York County Commissioners and the general public know that the $31,000 cut in the county budget for the Food Pantry is simply not acceptable,” says Mary Doyle, who manages public relations for the York County Shelter Programs.

It's vital that the local community show their support for the Food Pantry's indispensable work of caring for our friends and neighbors. Today is your chance: a peaceful demonstration will be held from 4:00 to 4:30 outside the Alfred County Courthouse in support of reinstating the $31,000 back into the county budget for the York County Shelter Programs' Food Pantry. A county budget hearing will take place inside the courthouse at 4:30 p.m. after the demonstration. There will be an opportunity for public comments about the Food Pantry funding.

Staff, residents, volunteers, and local high school students have been working tirelessly to prepare for the demonstration making posters, banners, and “Fund our Pantry” scarves. Hot cocoa and cookies from the Shelter's Bakery will be served during the demonstration. The demonstrators hope you can spare thirty minutes today to join with them and show your concern for the critical issue of hunger.